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We've gathered information from North Texas cities on their Christmas tree recycling programs. Courtesy of Storyblock.

Updated Jan. 8, 2019

When the holidays are over and you're ready to dispose of holiday trees, boxes and wrapping paper, you may be able to recycle some or all of the refuse. Check the guide below to learn what your community offers. Check your city's website, if you don't see it listed.

AREA WIDE

Living Earth, the largest recycler of tree limbs, brush, leaves and grass clippings in Texas and the 2017 Green Source DFW Corporate Trailblazer of the Year, will accept free of charge live naked holiday trees at any of the following locations through Jan. 31, 2019. The trees must be free of all decorations such as lights, flocking, tree stands, ornaments, tinsel.

Residents may place their live Christmas trees on the curb in front of their homes during their regular brush/bulk collection week for pickup by Dallas Sanitation Services. All decorations should be removed.

Those who wish to dispose of their Christmas trees before their brush/bulk collection week may bring their tree to McCommas Bluff landfill or any of the city's Sanitation transfer stations. Here is the location link.

"Some of the trees will be shredded, but due to the low grade of the resulting mulch it will not distributed to the public as Dallas has done in the past," said Danielle McClelland, Division Manager, at City of Dallas, DallasCityNews.net via email.

In addition, a new Dallas-based food scrap and yard waste collector, Turn Compost, will pick up your tree, turn it into mulch and donate the mulch to one of its community partners, i.e. school garden, farm or community garden for a $20 fee, according to Dallas Culture Map.

Live Christmas trees can be disposed of as part of Fort Worth’s normal weekly yard waste pickup. Trees must be less than eight feet long; cut trees in two pieces if necessary. Be sure to take all your decorations, lights and tree stands off of the tree before you place it on the curb. Do not put the tree in a plastic bag. Flocked trees are accepted; artificial trees should be disposed of in the brown garbage cart.

Live Christmas trees will be picked up on the first and third Wednesdays of January (Jan. 2 and 16) and the first Wednesday of February (Feb.6). Contact the City’s Environmental Services Division at 817-410-3330 with any questions you might have regarding recycling this holiday season.

The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful are providing two locations for Christmas tree recycling in Tyler this year. Residents can drop off their undecorated, non-flocked natural Christmas trees beginning the day after Christmas through Sunday, Jan. 20, in designated areas at Golden Road Park and Fun Forest Park in Tyler.

Golden Road Park is located at the intersection of McDonald Road and Golden Road. Fun Forest Park is located in the 900 block of North Glenwood Boulevard.

All lights, ornaments, garland and tinsel should be removed from the Christmas tree before dropping it off near the sign that says “Christmas Tree Recycling.”

The trees at the parks are available for area fisherman to pick up and sink in nearby lakes to create fish habitats. Small fish eat the aquatic insects that find a home in the tree branches. The fish also use the trees as a hiding place. As a result, the fishing is improved around the recycled trees because more fish congregate in these areas.

Christmas trees will also be picked up at the curb for disposal at the landfill. Only non-flocked natural trees deposited at Fun Forest Park and Golden Road Park will be recycled.

For more information, contact Angela Cardoza, City of Tyler Parks and Recreation Keep Tyler Beautiful coordinator, at (903) 595-7217 or e-mail acardoza@tylertexas.com.

Author

Rita Cook

Rita Cook is a DFW-based award-winning journalist and world traveler who writes or has written for the Dallas Morning News, Focus Daily News, Waxahachie Daily Light, Dreamscapes Travel Magazine, Porthole, Core Media, Fort Worth Star Telegram and many other publications in Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago. With five books published, her latest release is “A Brief History of Fort Worth” published by History Press. Contact her at rcook13@earthlink.net.

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About GreenSource DFW

Green Source DFW is an education project of the Memnosyne Institute. It's mission is to bring together environmental groups, green businesses and the Dallas-Fort Worth community to grow the green movement in North Texas.

Memnosyne Institute

The mission of the Memnosyne Institute is to help the diverse people of the world consciously encourage an evolution for themselves and for future generations by providing humanity with the means to encourage positive, peaceful global collaboration in seven main areas of knowledge.